Curiosity Stream
Sign In
Curiosity Original

NYC Revealed (Season 1)

10 episodes 96%4KCC

Beneath New York's streets, the hidden systems of a metropolis come alive.

Explore the mostly unseen infrastructure that keeps America’s largest city breathing, from trash and water to bridges, airports, and the constant fight against rats. This season reveals how vast networks work in unison, turning everyday city life into a deeper story of engineering, pressure, and problem-solving. Sign up to see New York with new eyes.

Episode guide

10 episodes
1
1Rats
New York has long been known as one of the rattiest cities in America with some estimating close to 2 million rodents roam its streets. Both city workers and residents have been waging a never-ending battle against these four-legged friends. Here is how New York City rats out its rodents.
24 min
2
2Taxis
The yellow taxi cab is the quintessential New York City ride. What started as a small fleet of cars nearly 100 years ago, has turned into a bustling system of thousands of yellow taxi cabs. But now the threat of ride-share apps and city scandal has left cab drivers in thousands of dollars of debt.
26 min
3
3Trash
Many things come to mind when thinking about New York City, but how the city deals with its garbage is usually not one of them. New Yorkers produce over 14 million tons of trash each year - and a combination of city agencies and private companies work daily to haul away what New Yorkers don't want.
24 min
4
4Sewage
Underneath the ground of New York's fabled streets exists a vast network of pipes that make up the city's sewer system. New Yorkers create, on average, 1.3 billion gallons of wastewater per day that makes its way through these 7,500 miles of pipes.
24 min
5
5Steam
Many don't know it, but New York is a city that runs on steam. 27 billion pounds of it per year, in fact. It's one of the few cities that relies on the old, but reliable, technology to heat some of its most famous buildings.
24 min
6
6Bridges
New York City has some of the most iconic bridges in the world like the Brooklyn Bridge and the George Washington Bridge. These engineering marvels have helped set the tone for how bridges around the world are designed. Here is how New York builds and maintains its aging bridges.
24 min
7
7Parks
New York City might be known as the concrete jungle, but its parks have been an ever-present part of this bustling metropolis from the beginning. The city's 30,000 acres of parks serve as an escape for New Yorkers and serve the city itself in many unseen ways.
24 min
8
8Airports
New York has one of the busiest airspaces in the world. Here is how New York's airports have evolved to handle 140 million passengers each year.
24 min
9
9Electricity
Keeping the lights on in New York City is no easy task and as New York moves towards a greener future how we generate electricity will have to evolve.
24 min
10
10Water
Getting water from upstate reservoirs to the taps of over 8.5 million people in New York City is no easy feat. From purification, through thousands of miles of underground tunnels, this is how New York City gets its water.
24 min
Good to know

Frequently asked questions

Thousands of the world's best documentaries and factual programming — nature, history, science, technology, and biography — including exclusive Curiosity Originals like NYC Revealed (Season 1). Stream it all ad-free, anytime.

Plans are billed annually — every plan streams in 4K. The Smart Bundle adds four partner services. There are no contracts — cancel anytime.

Watch on the web, iOS and Android, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Android TV, and most smart TVs. Start on one device and pick up right where you left off on another.

Yes. The library is full of family-friendly nature and science programming, and the Smart Bundle includes Kidstream — carefully chosen, ad-free shows kids will love and parents can trust.

Absolutely. There are no contracts and no cancellation fees — manage or cancel your plan anytime from your account settings.

Curiosity Stream is our streaming service — thousands of documentaries and originals. The Smart Bundle is Curiosity Stream plus four other independent streaming services (Tastemade, Kidstream, Curiosity University, and SOMM TV) on a single subscription.

Yes. Start on any plan and move up to the Smart Bundle whenever you like — the change takes effect right away, and your billing is simply prorated from your account settings.

Got your answer? Pick a plan and start streaming.Start streaming
Available now

Start watching NYC Revealed (Season 1) today

Stream thousands of award-winning documentaries. Cancel anytime.

Start streaming